Crime Scene Cleanup
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Fulton County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is crime scene cleanup focused on the removal of contaminated materials, blood and bodily fluids. The specialized work starts only when investigators are finished and the property has been released.
While the medical examiner or coroner and law enforcement concentrate on investigative duties, they do not clean what remains at the property. Homicide cleaning can be arranged after release of the scene by an authorized person, including an owner, landlord or relative.
The cleanup process goes beyond ordinary cleaning services. Cleanup technicians locate contamination in the affected area and surrounding areas, protect unaffected rooms, remove materials that cannot be disinfected and treat cleanable surfaces. The work also includes hazardous waste packaging, waste disposal, odor removal and records for an insurance company when requested.

You can request details about cleaning, necessary removals, waste movement off the property and the work left for restoration.
Personal property that can be saved is separated and discussed with you before removal decisions are made.
You can request unmarked vehicles and limit entry to authorized people, which helps protect privacy during a painful event.
Photos, item lists, scope notes and disposal documents can support conversations with insurance companies and property owners.
A homicide cleaning service is needed if a violent death leaves biological material or blood in a vehicle, business, rental or home. Situations that commonly require this work include:
Because blood and tissue may affect ceilings, furniture, walls, hidden joints and carpet, every travel path must be located.
A bedroom, hall, living area and surrounding exposed surfaces may all require blood cleanup after the event.
While stores, offices, shared spaces or warehouses are checked for contamination, the affected area can remain isolated.
An assessment of seats, insulation, trim and carpet identifies what may remain after cleaning and what needs removal.
Begin by honoring the investigation, limiting exposure and keeping information that may help with a claim. Take these steps before cleanup technicians are allowed to enter:
Call (888) 440-9227The published planning figures in available homicide cleanup cost guides range between $2,500 and $9,000 when the work involves a violent crime scene. A smaller scene has figures from $2,000 to $6,000 while a larger scene has figures from $3,000 to $10,000 under those guides. These amounts do not serve as a quote. The assessment shapes the final scope.
These ranges come from published national cost guides, not from a site visit. After an on-site assessment, the price for your property is determined and shared with you before cleanup begins.
Ask about cost: (888) 440-9227Insurance may pay toward homicide cleanup through a commercial, homeowners or renters policy. Coverage is determined by the loss, the policy and its deductible.
Who organizes and pays for the work may depend on ownership, the lease, applicable local law and insurance terms. Tenants and landlords should each contact the appropriate insurer.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program, run by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, about crime scene cleanup. The program lists crime scene sanitization among eligible expenses. Insurance is usually checked first.
Once police release the property, explain the event to your insurer. Check if coverage includes restoration, biohazard cleanup and damaged structural materials.
Check with your insurance company about its requirements for photos, inventories, work notes, bills and waste documentation. Keep copies of everything you submit.
The remediation process follows a controlled order after scene release. Every step is based on where contamination traveled, which materials can be saved and what waste rules apply.
After the authorized person points out known affected areas, technicians examine floor edges, belongings, adjacent surfaces and potential travel routes.
Clean rooms are kept apart from the work area. Suitable personal protective equipment and controls help cleanup technicians limit the movement of contamination outside the scene.
Surface-specific methods collect bodily fluids and blood that are visible before detailed cleaning and disinfection.
Carpet, pad, drywall, upholstery or subfloor that cannot be fully disinfected is removed in the smallest practical area.
Cleanable materials undergo detailed scene cleaning before an EPA-registered disinfectant is applied and stays wet throughout the label contact time.
Targeted treatment and air filtration can address odors in connected spaces, room air and retained materials once the source has been removed.
Applicable rules guide the sealing, labeling and movement of contaminated waste, while available disposal documentation is kept.
A final check covers finished work, the agreed return of saved personal property and a list of removed finishes for restoration services.
Call any hour. A specialist in homicide cleanup takes your call, explains each step and agrees on a start time with you.
Blood, bodily fluids and hidden contaminated materials can present serious health risks, even when the visible area looks small or dry.
Wall cavities, subfloor, padding, grout and seams can absorb fluids. A surface mark may be cleaned while affected material underneath or behind it goes untreated.
Applicable medical waste rules may require regulated disposal, transportation and packaging for used protective equipment and saturated porous materials.
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can be carried through blood. The CDC says hepatitis B can survive on surfaces for at least seven days, so dried blood still requires careful controls.
Can you clean it yourself? With disposable gloves, a small quantity of fresh blood may be cleaned off a hard, non-porous area by keeping an EPA-registered disinfectant on it for the full label contact time. Stay out and seek professional cleanup if blood affected drywall, fabric, wood, carpet or any space whose boundaries are uncertain.
Whether an item absorbed blood helps determine what remains. Porous material usually requires removal, while non-porous surfaces may stay when all exposed parts are reachable for disinfection.

The time required for homicide cleaning depends on how large the scene is, how deep contamination went, how many rooms are involved, available access and how much material needs removal. A useful schedule can be discussed following the initial assessment.
| Scene | Typical time on site |
|---|---|
| Accessible surfaces within a small affected area | Inspection and official scene release determine the schedule |
| One affected space containing absorbent materials for removal | May involve cleanup followed by restoration as another phase |
| Several rooms or structural contamination | Usually needs a staged scope and longer restoration work |
Odor cannot be corrected with fragrance alone when fluids remain absorbed in drywall, hidden cavities, carpet, furniture or subfloor. The source must be located and removed first.
HEPA air scrubbers may filter particles from the air following removal of contaminated material. If equipment instructions permit, hydroxyl treatment can be suitable where a space remains occupied. Strict controls apply to ozone, and nobody may be in the treatment area. Vents and rooms next to the scene may also be checked as part of cleaning before you continue.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in your state.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Planning for access, containment and cleanup can depend on local population, housing and entry conditions.
At 27.5% renter occupancy, most housing is owner occupied, which can reduce the number of parties involved in cleanup authorization.
Because the median home dates to 2002, concealed moisture behind drywall or under flooring still deserves careful checking.
Although the share is 15.4%, seniors living alone can still face delayed discovery after an illness, injury, or death.
The 81.2% single-family share means odor may move through connected rooms and ventilation even without shared walls between households.
Ask on the call about cleanup options for neighboring communities and ZIP codes.
After police release the property, crime scene cleaning addresses blood and odor.
See crime scene cleanup
Walls, carpets, furnishings and hard floors receive blood cleanup, with safe disposal afterward.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup addresses the aftermath of accidents, injuries and violent incidents.
See trauma scene cleanup
After a person dies at home, cleanup addresses fluids, odors and belongings that were affected.
See death cleanup
Careful, private suicide cleanup keeps family members from having to confront the scene.
See suicide cleanup
When a death remains undiscovered for days, cleanup addresses decomposition and controls odors.
See unattended death cleanup
Investigation residue, tissue and fingerprint powder are addressed along with forensic cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
Air scrubbers, hydroxyl and ozone treatment support death odor removal at its source.
See death odor removalThe published homicide cleanup cost for a violent crime scene ranges from $2,500 to $9,000. For a smaller scene, the published range is $2,000 to $6,000, compared with a larger scene at $3,000 to $10,000. The finished scope depends on police release, disposal needs, contamination depth, room count and scene size.
Cleaning it yourself is inappropriate if blood reached an unseen space or absorbent materials such as carpet, drywall, furniture, fabric or wood. Contamination that is not visible, along with bloodborne pathogens, can present serious health risks. Keep people and pets out while awaiting scene release, then arrange professional cleanup when any affected area has uncertain edges.
Once investigators approve entry, professional homicide cleaners can begin cleaning the murder scene. Containment, detailed surface cleaning, removal of absorbed fluid, disinfection, waste disposal and odor removal may be part of the job. Any family member should stay outside and avoid cleaning a space where blood or other bodily fluids remain.
The process begins with cleanup technicians identifying the affected area and establishing containment. Technicians use protective gear while collecting visible material and removing porous items that disinfection cannot make safe. Remaining surfaces are cleaned before an EPA-registered disinfectant is left on for its labeled contact time. Hazardous waste is packaged before the finished scope receives a final check.
Yes, different hazards can affect the same location. When evidence controls no longer apply, hoarding cleanup services may begin for the property's heavy contents. Sewage cleanup can be required following a sewage backup, and drying may be needed where water damage occurred. Containment, disposal and the cleaning process must each be planned for the specific hazard.
Some or all covered expenses may be paid after the deductible, although terms vary for every policy and every situation. Share claim facts with the insurance company, then ask how the policy addresses restoration, building materials, biohazard cleanup and emergency response work. Save your invoices, disposal paperwork, scope details and photographs.
Respectful, discreet homicide cleanup is available 24 hours a day, and crews arrive in unmarked vehicles.